81 Individuals Convicted of Sexual Crimes Found Employed at Child and Youth Institutions

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Conducts Full Survey of Over 540,000 Child and Youth-Related Institutions
43 Workers Dismissed, 38 Operators' Institutions Closed as Measures Taken

Individuals who committed sex crimes and were subject to employment restrictions were found to be working in child and youth-related institutions in large numbers.

On the 2nd, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that from March to December last year, they inspected whether individuals with a history of sex crimes were employed at approximately 540,000 child and youth-related institutions, including schools, private academies, and sports facilities, managed by central administrative agencies, local governments, and education offices, and identified 81 people subject to employment restrictions due to sex crimes.

According to the current Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sexual Abuse, individuals who have received an employment restriction order due to sex crimes are prohibited from working at child and youth-related institutions during the restriction period. Furthermore, heads of child and youth-related institutions are required to conduct mandatory background checks for sex crime history when hiring employees, and failure to comply may result in a fine of up to 5 million KRW.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated his pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stating, "Isn't it time for the ministry to fulfill its historical mission?" Meanwhile, on the 14th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family at the Government Seoul Office, facing a crossroads regarding its existence, is stirring in a restless atmosphere. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The number of people subject to inspection currently working at child and youth-related institutions is approximately 3.41 million (as of 2022), an increase of 36,387 from the previous year, with 14 more individuals with sex crime records detected.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has dismissed all 43 employees among the 81 detected and is taking measures such as closing institutions or changing operators for the 38 operators involved.

Looking at the detection rates by institution type, the breakdown is as follows: 24 individuals (29.7%) at sports facilities, 24 individuals (29.7%) at private academies and tutoring centers, 7 individuals (8.6%) at security service corporations, 6 individuals (7.4%) at PC rooms and arcades, and 4 individuals (4.9%) at various schools.

Information such as the names and addresses of the child and youth-related institutions where these individuals were detected will be publicly available on the Sex Offender Notification (e) website (www.sexoffender.go.kr) until May 31, allowing any citizen to easily verify it.

Meanwhile, the current employment restriction system lacks punitive measures beyond dismissal and demands for closure of related institutions when sex offenders targeting children and youth violate employment restriction orders.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to supplement this blind spot by introducing penalties for sex offenders who violate employment restriction orders and strengthening sanctions such as imposing fines on child and youth-related institutions that refuse to submit data for checking and verifying sex crime records. A partial amendment to the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sexual Abuse containing these measures is scheduled to be announced for public comment within this month.

Additionally, to enhance compliance with the reporting obligations of workers regarding child and youth sexual crimes, the amendment will include provisions allowing education on reporting obligations, previously only included in the qualification acquisition process, to also be conducted during refresher training.

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, stated, “We will actively promote the employment restriction system for child and youth-related institutions and pursue legislative amendments to improve the system, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the child and youth sexual crime prevention framework.”